Topsham, Devon

Love is....

Love is ... Lympstone in 1960, a village girl called Vera, me, a young marine who did not want to be a marine, a real family called Stone, the smell of the Exe, a kiss under a tree during a summer thunder storm, glow worms in the lanes as I walked back from leaving her home, a last kiss goodbye, a... [more]

There was always the ghost stories...

In 1973 having just left school that summer, I started my State Registered Nurse training with tutor Miss Wilmot at this Southernhay Hospital.
Being a 'young lady' from Bristol my new colleagues and I were expected to live in the Nurses Home with a larger than life home matron Miss Hermitage. The Nurses Home was behind the hospital between Wynards... [more]

The Wakely Family

I was born in Lower Shillingford (Shillingford Abbot) in 1939. My grandparents lived in Rectory Cottage, Higher Shillingford (Shillingford St George). My grandfather was gardener at the vicarage. He was also the sexton at the church, gravedigger, bellringer and caretaker at the church.
At Christmas time we would walk from Lower Shillingford to Higher Shillingford to attend the midnight service at... [more]

Exmouth Marina

The history of Exmouth Harbour and marina has altered beyond recognition in the last few years. In 1998 I went there as a complete novice deck hand and worked for the summer on the 55-foot trawler GY165 'Pacemaker'. We fished out in the channel and often landed our catch on the harbour, to the interest of the town's visitors. I lived... [more]

A picnic at Exmouth Cricket Club

Last week we had a really lovely day out with our granddaughter Anna Norfolk. It was a beautiful sunny July day and far too hot for staying at home so my wife and I went in search of a beach and a cooling sea breeze. We drove to Exmouth and when we arrived at the seafront we noticed that the... [more]

Vacation with My Parents & Family

Visited Exmouth with my parents brother & sister-in-law.  Remember the beautiful beach.  I was 10 years old at the time. I remember we stayed in a hotel not far from the beach, although I cannot remember the hotel name. We had a lovely week, the weather was beautiful  and we met some people on vacation from Europe.

Childhood Holidays in the 1950's

I was born in 1942 and brought up in Walthamstow in NE London. We were a working class family and Dad always provided us with 2 week's holiday, if possible 'by the sea'. In 1951, Dad chose Dawlish Warren. I was 9 at the time and we probably travelled down by train from Paddington, changing at Exeter St Davids and getting a... [more]